Vending machine



Oct. 18, A1938. G. G. BARNARD VENDING MACHINE Filed July 6, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3 0 1G j n 1 i w W f/w A: 3 2 O 7/- y zu. /\3 NIIIII, M nm 9 VM f.\\ 7, l .7J w 4 7J U e /2 9 a/ 4 4 26W Z lm ,l Ar MWI, 7 w11, f 4/ 5, f (o 7 Y o 2 :Vil Z 7. 7 M@ Z 7 7 2 INVENT R.

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3.837 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYJ,

G. G. BARNARD Oct. 18, 1938.

VENDING MACHINE Filed July e,

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w 7 5 n f Z lidia A, a .w 4 l/ Z 2 Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcs 6 Claims.

This invention relates to vending machines operable in response to insertion of a coin of certain dimensions.

Objects of the invention are to provide a dev vice of the class described which (a) is adapted to contain a supply of and deliver for a single coin and by a single operation a plurality of articles of different shapes and sizes but which are designed for conjoint use such as a paper cup and a predetermined number of medicinal tablets to be taken with water in such cup; (b) shall be compact, convenient, simple, economical and efficient in construction and operation; (c) shall be eciently safe-guarded against milking, i. e. unauthorized extraction of contents; (d) shall at all times show at a glance the number of tablets remaining in the container and (e) shall protect the contained tablets from damage or atmospheric deterioration.

With these and other objects in view, `all of which will more fully hereinafter appear, my invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout and in which Fig. l is a front elevation of my vending machine.

Fig. 2 is a right side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation View of the rear of the housing and contained mechanism as viewed when opened for servicing, the back of the housing being viewed at an angle and somewhat 35 foreshortened.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. 40 Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. Tis a view like Fig. 6 but illustrating the parts in position at completion of inward stroke of the plunger with single cup dropped.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a fragment illustrating position of certain parts when dropping a tablet at completion of inward stroke of the plunger.

Fig. 11 is a fragment illustrating position of coin and certain parts during the inward stroke of the plunger.

Fig. 12 is a fragment illustrating the catch in position to prevent unauthorized inward move- 56 ment of the plunger.

Fig. 13 is a detail perspective View of the plunger element complete.

The Figures 10, 11 and 12 areon a relatively enlarged scale.

My invention is designed for ythe vending of a 5 paper cup and two medicinal tablets and will be described interms of such construction and use though, obviously, the number of Y tabletcontaining and dispensing units may be increased or diminished as desired in order to vend, with l0 a single cup, the number of tablets desired for a standard dose. n

My invention comprises a back 20, to be attached to a wall or other support in any suitable manner, not shown, to which back I attach a 15 housing 2| preferably by hinges 22 and lock 23. The principal part of the mechanism is mounted in and carried by the housing 2l, a few parts beingcarried on the back and thereon positioned to cooperate with certain parts carried 20 in the housing when vthe-device is closed.

Exteriorly, the housing is provided with a cuprem'oving opening 24, a tablet removing opening 25, windows 26, a coin-chute housing 21 having a coin slot 28 therein,and a plunger bar 29 having 25 push button 30.

Interiorly of the housing and above the opening I provide shelf 3| suitably supported on the walls of the housing and covering a coin box 33 having receiving chute 33a and slidably sup- 30 ported by flanges 33h on brackets 32. Gaskets 34, of rubber or other suitable material, for seating and sealing the lower ends of the tablet tubes, later described, are carried by shelf 3| which shelf is also provided with holes 35 and 36 aligned 35 between the gaskets and for the purposes hereinafter described.

Tubes 3l, preferably of glass, normally have their open lower ends seated upon gaskets 34, the tops of the tubes being covered by caps 38, the capped upper ends of the tubes having a loose sliding fit within cylindrical guides 39 depending from the top of housing 2l. Resilient means, as springsli within the guides 39, are provided for normally holding the lower ends of the tubes tightly against gaskets 34.

Bar 4l performs several functions, including holding the tubes in fixed interrelation, providng means by which the tubes may be lifted and cooperating with fixed guides hereinafter described, for holding the tubes in proper alignment during reciprocation. This arrangement is conveniently accomplished by forming the bar 4l in two parts as-clearly shown at Figs. 4, 8, 10, 11 and 12, and

providing ridges 42,\which may be molded `with tillY 1 the tubes, between which the bar 4| engages the tubes 31. The two parts of the bar 4| Vare clamped together, with the tubes thus clamped between them, by suitable means, such as cleats 43 fastened to bar 4|, by any suitable means, not shown. The bar 4| is provided with a suitable runway in which it vertically reciprocates when the tubes are raised and lowered, such runway being conveniently formed by members 44, projecting from the back 20, the end wall of the housing 2|, guide 45 and cleats 46 and 41 attached, respectively, to the end wall of the housing and to guide 45. The tubes 31 are adapted to be loaded with tablets, indicated at 48, above which, freely slidable within each tube, is a plug 49, having a conical base 50, for the purpose hereinafter described and having characters upon the sides of the plug visible through windows 26 when the tablets within the tubes have been reduced to or below the level of the windows, all as clearly illustrated at Fig. 9.

A bent coin-chute 5| is provided within the housing 21 leading from the coin slot 28 to the hereinafter described point'at which the coin is received for operative purposes.

Also within housingV 2| and above opening 24, I provide a compartment for an inverted nest of Cups as illustrated in Figs.,3 to 1 inclusive. The guide 45 forms one ,wall of this chamber and an opposed guide 52 is positioned oppositely on the side wall of housing 2|. The front wall of housing 2| forms a third guide 53 while a fourth guide'54 is carried bythe back 20. Guides 45 and 52 are opposite and spaced apart slightly in excess of the diameter of the periphery of the rims of the cups and the guides V53 and 54 are similarly spaced when the device is closed so that in closed posi-` charge mechanism to slide the dropped tablets.

forward toward opening 25Y so that they may be easilyY reached manually through said opening. This slide is preferably attached, by any suitable means not shown, along its lower edge, to the bottom of the housing and along its side edges to the wall of the housing adjacent hinges 22 and partition 19 which separates the two chambers of the machine.

The plunger assembly is a complete, rigid mem? ber shown in perspective in detail at Fig. 13 and comprises the push button 36, plunger bar 29, wings 56, semi-circular plate 51, runners 58 and runner 59, wedges 68, spring post 6| and lug 62. The runners 58 slidably rest on shelf 3| and runner 59 slidably rests on bracket 63 carried by the side of the housing. I

Plunger bar 29 is notched as at 64 and bifurcated to form a coin receiving slot 65 and the bifurcation continues to the bottom of the bar 29 and backwardly therefrom forming recess 66, Such downward extension and recess being provided for the accommodation of member 61 which performs the combined function of a coin stop and ksafety catch. Member 61 is pivoted between the bifurcations as at 68 and is notched as at 69, a stop 10 being mounted between said bifurcations and within said notch 69 to limit the downa hook 1| adapted to engage in hole 35 under certain conditions and resilient member 12 is provided for forcing hook 1| into hole 35 whenever hook 1| is over hole 35 and there is no coin of the required size in slot 65.

Spring 13 is attached, by any suitable means indicated at 14, to the front wall of housing 2| and to spring post 6| whereby to retract the plunger assembly to and resiliently hold it in forward, inoperative, position.

The tubes being supplied with tablets 48 surmounted by the plug 49 as illustrated at Fig. 9'-

' and a nest of cups being placed on plate 51 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6 and the device being closed and the plunger assembly in forward, inoperative, position all as illustrated in Fig. 4, the operation is as follows:

A coin of the dimensions for which the machine is constructed, preferably a nickel, is inserted in slot 28 and drops through chute 5| into slot 65 coming therein to rest on member 61 all as illustrated at Fig. 8. Pressure is then exerted on button 30 forcing the coin against bar 4 I. It will be noted that the parts areV so proportioned that the coin will contact the lower front edge of bar 4| at a point on the edge of the coin above its horizontal diameter as it thus rests upon member 61 so that the pressure on the button 30 will cause the coin to act as a cam and lift bar 4| and, therewith the tubes 31, overcoming the weight of the tubes and the pressure of springs 40. The bar 4|, with the tubes, will be lifted to the height of the top of the coin and the parts are so proportioned that the vertical distance to the top of the coin from the point on the coin where it rst contacts bar 4|, is slightly greater than the thickness of one of the tablets in the tubes so that when Vbar 4| is raised sufficiently to permit the coin to pass thereunder, the bottoms of the tubes will have been raised above the gaskets 34 a distance sufficient to expose one tablet under each tube and permit the same to be slid from under the tube. 'I'he pressure being continued, the coin slides beneath and supports bar 4| with the attached tubes and'wings 56 contact the exposed -tablets and push them from under the tubes and coincidently support the remaining tablets within the'tubes. When the stroke is completed the exposed tablets have been pushed to the rear and drop (as' illustrated at Fig. 10) on either side receiving chute 33a and onto guide 55 which causes the tablets to slide forward toward openmg 25 through which they may be manually reached and removed. Y Coincidently, when the plunger assembly reaches the end of its inward strokethe inertia of the coin will cause it to roll down along the inclined Vend 61a of member 61 and into coin receiving chute 33a and thence into coin box 33. Should the inertia fail to thus drop the coin, it will be shoved off into the chute 33a by bar14| when it contacts said bar on the return stroke of the plunger assembly responsive to the pull of spring 13.V

Coincident with the above described tablet dropping operation, the plate 51 is -moved out from under the nest of cups but during this movementgwedges 60 enter the space between the rims or beads of the two lowest cups thus separating the bottom cup from the balance of the pile by lifting said next-to-the-bottom cup and those thereabove, leavingl the bottom cup resting on shelf 51 until the plunger assembly reaches the end of the inward stroke at which time the semicircularinner edge of shelf V51'will have cleared the rim of the bottom cup and the cup-,Will drop to position-shown in Fig. 7.

When the dropping of the tablets, cup and coin have been completed, as-,above described, the pressure on button Sli islreleasediand spring 'i3 will retract the plunger assembly to normal, inoperative position ready. for the next operation it being obvious that shelf l willmove under the nest of cups while the wedges 60 are still supporting them so that when the wedges are retracted from contact with the cups the cups will drop onto and lbe supportedbyshelfl and, likewise whenv wings 55 areretracted from beneath the tiers of tablets those tiers willdrop onto the gaskets and, practicallycoincident therewith, the wings 55 vwill be retracted from'under Vthe tubes and the tubes .will drop onto the gaskets,

enclosing the tablets and sealingthem from the atmosphere.

It will be noted that the outside of hook 1I is rounded and the forwardedge of hole 35 is inclined so that during retraction of the plunger assembly the hook 'H will slide over hole 35.

In case an eiort be made to milk the machine -by stopping the retractionof theY plunger unit when the top edge of bar 29' is supporting Ybar 4l, and then moving the'plunger inward again, such inward movement will be prevented by spring 'l2 forcing hook 1l down into hole 35 whereupon inward movement of the plunger unit will be prevented.

The insertion of a coin of less diameter than a nickel will be ineffective. Such coin will not lift bar 4l and the top of bar 29 above notch 64 will strike the edge of bar 4I or` the edges of wings 56 will strike the tubes. Either such contact will stop the inward movement of the plunger unit and, in any event, there will be nothing to lift the tubes or uncover any tablets. By reason of the reciprocation of the plunger any effort to operate it, in such case, will cause the coin to roll down incline 61a and into the coin box 33 through hole 3B.

In case all thetablets are exhausted and, notwithstanding the indication thereof by plug 49 viewed through window 26, an attempt be made to operate the machine with a nickel, damage l to the machine is prevented by forming plug 49 with the conical base 50 so that when wings 55 strike the plugs they strike the cone shaped base and raise the plugs in the tubes and slide beneath the plugs.

The runners 58 raise the wings 56 sufliciently to clear the gaskets 34 during reciprocation of the plunger unit.

For convenience in removing the dropped cup and also to prevent access to the nest of cups through opening 24, rake 'l5 is carried by and depending from shelf 5'! so that when the plunger unit is retracted the rake will shove the dropped cup forward toward opening 24 through which it may be manually removed, in which position the rake prevents reaching the nest of cups. Slide l5 may be provided to prevent catching of the cup on the housing edge at the bottom of opening 24. To hold the plunger unit in sliding alignment with and upon brackets 32h and 63 I provide complementary bracket 11 slidingly engaging the top of runner 58, and bracket 18 slidingly engaging the top of lug 62 and the top of the wedge 6D directly in front of said lug 62.

In order to insure the alignment of the nest of cups with the inner surfaces of guides 45 and 52 at all times, it is necessary only, in loading the machine, to place in the nest of cups three cupsin excess .ofthenumberof tablets .in one of the tubes so thatwhenthe tablets have al1 been ejected there will vstill be three cups in the nest and the rimof the top cup will be within and in contact with-thev lower endsy of guides 45 and 52, and the nest will thus be held in alignment within said guides all as clearly illustrated at Fig. 3.

When the machine is open, as illustrated at Fig. 3, a new nest of oups4 may be readily `inserted on shelf 51 and between the guides 45, 52 and 53 and upon closing-the machineguide 54 will also contact the rims and form the fourth side of the run-way for-the cups.

Likewise, when'the machine is open, coin box 33 may be removed by sliding yalong brackets 32 and out from under shelf 3|` for emptying, it being understood that the box has no cover except when in place beneath shelf 3| which then covers the box.

The tubes may be removed for reloading bv lifting them free of the gaskets` moving them` backward until they clear the rear of shelf 3l, (the t in lguides 39 being suiiiciently loosefor this purpose) and then dropping the tubes out of guides 39. Caps 38 and the plugs 59 are removed and the tubes filled with new tablets through the tops. so that the older tablets will always be at the bottom. The plugs 59 and caps 38 are then replaced and the tubes placed in operative position on the gaskets by the reverse of the above described removing operation. The coin box is then slid into position and the machine closed and locked.

While I have shown and described details of construction many changes may be made therein. as will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

rbut all within the spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure and the appended claims and I do not wish to be conned to such details.

I claimt 1. In a vending machine in combination. a plurality of tablet-containing tubes interconnected by a bar. a reciprocable plunger including a stop normally contacting said bar to limit reciprocation, a seat in said plunger adapted to seat a coin vertically with its horizontal diameter below but with its top above the edge of said bar whereby to raise said bar and tubes when the plunger is projected beneath the bar, wings on said plunger adapted to remove tablets from beneath said tubes when the tubes have been raised, a shelf on said plunger adapted to normally support a nest of inverted cups but removable from under said nest by projection of said plunger when said coin is seated therein and means carried by the plunger for supporting all of said cups above the bottom cup when said shelf is removed from under the nest.

2. In a vending machine, in combination, a plurality of tablet-containing tubes interconnected by a bar and normally resiliently seated on gaskets, a reciprocable plunger including a stop normally contacting said bar to limit reciprocation, a seat in said plunger adapted to seat a coin vertically with its horizontal diameter below but with its top above the edge of said bar whereby to raise said bar and said tubes when the plunger is projected beneath the bar, wings on said plunger adapted to move between the gaskets and the lower ends of the tubes when the tubes are raised whereby to remove tablets resting on said gaskets.

3. In a vending machine, in combination, a plurality of tablet-containing tubes interconnected by a bar, a reciprocable plunger including a stop normally contacting said bar to limit reciprocation, a seat in said plunger adapted to seat a coin vertically to act as a cam to raise said bar and tubes when the plunger is projected beneath the bar,l wings on said plunger positioned to slide beneath said tubes and remove tablets when the tubes have been raised and means for removing the coin from theseat after the coin Yhas passed Vthe bar.

4. In a vending machine, in combination, a plurality of tablet-containing tubes interconnected by a bar, a reciprocable plunger including a stop normally contacting said bar to limit reciprocation, a seat in said plunger adapted to seat a coin vertically to act as a cam to raise said bar and tubes when theplunger is projected beneath the bar, wings on said plunger positioned to slide beneath said tubesY and remove tablets when the tubes have been raised and means for removing the coin from the seat after the coin has passed the bar, and a catch operable when -no coin is in the seat to prevent inward movement of the plunger.

5. In a vending machine, -in combination a plurality of tablet-containing tubes interconnected by a bar, a reciprocable plunger having means for seating a coin in position `to contact and raise the bar and tubes and to remove tablets from beneath the raised tubes all by reciprocation of the plunger, said tubes being transparent and being enclosed in a housing provided with windows through which the tubes and contents are visible, plugs in said tubes having graduations thereon visible through said tubes and said windows whereby to indicate the number of tablets remaining in the tubes.

6. In a vending machine, in combination, a plurality of tablet-containing tubes, and a chamber containing a nest of inverted cups, a plunger comprising a shelf normally supporting said nest but removable from under the nest by projection of the plunger inwardly and means associated with said shelf for supporting all but the lower cup of the nest when said shelf is removed from under the nest, said plunger also including wings projectible beneath the tubes when the tubes are raised and a stop carried by the plunger normally contacting a bar interconnecting the tubes to prevent inward movement of the plunger and means on the plunger to seat a coin vertically to act as a cam beneath said bar when the plunger is projected therebeneath whereby to raise said bar and remove tablets from beneath said tubes by the forward movement of said wings.

GLEN G. BARNARD. 

